Articles by Kristen Michaelis CNC

Kristen Michaelis CNC is a published author and teacher. She's created a general nutrition curriculum used by classrooms around the US and written Beautiful Babies -- a book on nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding that premiered at #1 on Amazon in its category, beating out What to Expect When You're Expecting.

About the Author

Kristen Michaelis CNC has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2008. Founder and CEO of Food Renegade, she's a passionate advocate for REAL FOOD -- food that's sustainable, organic, local, and traditionally-prepared according to the wisdom of our ancestors. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) from Dallas Baptist University in Philosophy and Biblical Studies, then began her post-graduate journey as a researcher in the fields of health and nutrition. While she adores hats & happy skirts, nothing inspires her quite like geeking out over nutrition & sustainable agriculture. Nutrition educator & author of the go-to book on nutrition for fertility, she's also a rebel with a cause who enjoys playing in the rain, a good bottle of Caol Isla scotch, curling up with a page-turning book, sunbathing on her hammock, and parenting her three children as they grow into young adults.

Kombucha Health Benefits Backed by Science

By now you’ve probably heard of kombucha, the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir.” It’s a fermented tea that’s been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich anecdotal history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases. But are these health benefits backed by science?

Made from sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (a SCOBY, a.k.a. “mother” because of its ability to reproduce, or “mushroom” because of its appearance), kombucha didn’t gain prominence in the West until the past couple of decades. Now it’s gained an ardent and addicted following — so much so you can buy it in most airports and grocery stores in the US.

Ferment Your Own Country Wine

Find yourself with an overabundance of fruit and want to make a fun drink for your guests? Country wine is a general term for wine made from fruit except for grapes. Wow your guests with your wine-making skills!

Black Seed Oil Health Benefits

The first time I heard about black seed oil, I was at the Fancy Food Winter trade show in San Francisco. I thought the oil was tasty, but wondered why anyone would cook with it. “Oh I don’t cook with it,” the person behind the booth said, “I take black cumin seed oil medicinally. About…

Shipt Review: Or, Why I Pay Others to Grocery Shop for Me

Shopping at the grocery store is annoying. Because I enjoy food, I used to enjoy shopping for it. But after having kids, lugging them up and down grocery aisles as toddlers became a nightmare. I’ve been using Shipt to deliver my groceries for going on 3 years now, and it’s been a huge relief! My…

Real Plans Meal Planning Service: A Review

I’ve never been good at meal planning. It takes a certain kind of person — someone who’s far more organized than me. That’s why I need all the help I can get. Last month, my friend Emily Bartlett and her husband Antony rolled out a new meal planning app called Real Plans.

How far does your food travel?

These pears crossed the ocean. TWICE. Sadly, this isn’t unusual. It’s a normal part of the business of food in the US. How did we get here?

Should You Use Sunscreen?

Deciding whether or not to use sunscreen, or which sunscreen to use, is a hot topic among the health conscious community these days. After all, most varieties are full of toxic chemicals, so why would you want to use sunscreen liberally on your skin? To address this, many “all-natural” alternatives have sprung up on the market. Consumers can still use sunscreen without feeling guilty!

Or can they?

Where to Find Healthy Lunch Meats

Struggling with where to find healthy lunch meats? You’re not alone. Store-bought lunch meats not only come from CAFO-raised animals, but they also contain a strange and unwholesome mix of additives like carageenan and preservatives like sodium nitrate. If you’re not ready to give up on the idea of cold-served meats for lunch, consider this your guide to nutrient-dense, wholesome lunch meats from grass-fed, wild, or pasture-raised animals.

How to Make Magnesium Oil

Want to know how to make magnesium oil? The Journal of the American College of Nutrition says that at least 68% of us are magnesium deficient (most likely more), leading to a host of health problems — including insomnia, depression, and fatigue. Topically-applied magnesium oil is perhaps the best tool we’ve got to combat that deficiency and improve our health and wellness. While it’s true you can buy magnesium oil already made, it’s far less expensive to make magnesium oil yourself (and surprisingly easy)!

How to Defrost Meat Quickly Without A Microwave

I grew up quickly defrosting meat — without a microwave. In fact, I’ve almost never used a microwave to defrost meat. That’s because my method for defrosting meat is often faster than a microwave and defrosts the meat more evenly. Nothing’s more annoying when it’s time to cook dinner than discovering your “defrosted” meat has a frozen center and cooked edges. Am I right? With my method for quickly defrosting meat, you won’t have that problem again.